on pins and needles

1. In a state of anxiety or tense expectation: “Jackie was on pins and needles waiting to hear about her job application.”

Idioms and Phrases

Nervously anxious, as in He was on pins and needles, waiting for the test results . The graphic expression pins and needles for the tingling sensation experienced in recovering from numbness was transferred to a feeling of marked mental uneasiness about 1800.

Example Sentences

"Unlike the strong, determined character in Stephen King’s novel, Wendy in the film version fears Jack’s violent temper, which threatens to explode at any moment. Duvall’s Wendy lives in constant dread, perhaps unconsciously so, of Jack’s emotional and physical outbursts — and so she spends most of the film on pins and needles."

From Salon

The region is now on pins and needles awaiting reprisals from Iran, Hezbollah and perhaps other Iranian proxy groups, risking escalation and wider war.

From Los Angeles Times

“I mean, we have not discussed it. And not even just for me. The people who work there. They’re the ones on pins and needles. Just say something to let the people be able to breathe a little bit. I can’t imagine having a family and bills, because realistically, you probably gotta start looking for another job.”

From Los Angeles Times

“We’re on pins and needles, mate,” said Mother.

From Literature

“We waited on pins and needles for 12 days,” she said.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• anxious
• apprehensive
• edgy
• excitable
• fidgety
• jumpy
• panicky
• restless
• shaky
• skittish
• spooked
• tense
• uneasy
• uptight